You're Beautiful
by Of.Winged.Poets
Summary: ."They were broken. But they were in love." A moment on a subway. She could have been his. Sometimes love isn't enough. FAX. Not fluff. Kind of depressing.


I do not own Maximum Ride.

* * *

- -

_My life is brilliant.  
My love is pure._

_- -_

This is something incredible. I've fallen. The cynicism, denials, mockery-back in my face. Because I'm head over wings over heels. It's unreal, unrealistic, unbelievable, unfathomable. I'm the emotionless man. The Rock. I was alone, but now… everything's different, and it's like…I can't remember what came before. Here on this dingy subway, I've had a revelation, revolution. And it's her.

She's something other; she's lit me on fire. I can feel it in all my nerves. A painful kind of love. White fire. Brilliance to the maximum. It's a luminescence that I've never known. Does she know what she's done to me? She's standing there so beautiful and perfect. _Do you know what you've done to me?_

_- -_

_I saw an angel.  
Of that I'm sure._

_- -  
_

Her wings. She had them. I saw, if only for a second when she turned her back just so. If only for a second, it was meant. We were meant. I'm not one to exaggerate or gush. This is it. I'm not lying. Why would I bother with all these words to tell a lie? I'm not the type. I know what I saw. But I don't know how it's possible.

She was laughing. Her halo of gold and amber filtered light spilled over her shoulders and down her back. Untame. Unearthly. She was ethereal.

Ig didn't believe it. She was only visible to one of the two of us, him being blind, so he couldn't see her angelic face...or wings.

"There's no one else with wings, man. Only us. You're losing it." I didn't bother to tell him, but he knew I wouldn't let go. Couldn't let go.

"There have never been any others." I shrugged.

"An angel then, man. But not another one of us." No answer.

- -

_She smiled at me on the subway.  
She was with another man.  
But I won't lose no sleep on that,  
'Cause I've got a plan._

_- -_

This is something amazing. Something beautiful. I've never seen anything quite like it before, like her. She grinned my way. So happy. So full of life. _I love you_. I was blinded by her…_her-ness_.

"Look, she's taken." Iggy pointed out what I had been blinded too. Irony. She'd been smiling at _him_.

"How would you know?" He shrugged. But he was right. She was with someone else. Years of training in control of emotions came to my aid. I caught my spirits before they shattered on the subway's dirty floor. Maybe he doesn't know, about the wings. But I wouldn't expose her. Never could I harm her, hurt her. Tears in those laughing eyes might be enough to do me in.

Just telling her, showing her might be enough. Two winged people. A connection stronger than whatever she has with him. Looks too old for her anyway.

- -

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.  
You're beautiful, it's true.

- -

This is something infinite. A moment. Her eyes slammed into mine. I saw her smile fade and wanted it back. Wanted to keep it with me for rainy days. Almost better than flying. The space seemed darker already. I'd never felt so entranced, so needy, so…many feelings at once. Emotions flickered over her features like the light of dancing flames. Unearthly. A ghost. I couldn't take my eyes away. We had a conversation in those moments, although I don't know how. They weren't real words, but a different language altogether. Something that was just ours. A mutual understanding.

"_Who are you? Why are you here? Why do I feel…" _Confusion. Fear.

"_I don't know."_

"…"

"_Wings." _It was all I knew to communicate. My only shot.

"_You can't know that." _She looked afraid.

"_I have them."_

"_What do you want? I don't…" _She thought I was one of _them_. An enemy. I softened my gaze to let her know.

"_Let's talk. Meet somewhere."_

"_No…I-I can't." _I searched her gaze. She was referring to him. I had no chance. I nodded. Felt sorrow. The connection was gone. The moment lost to the rushing tunnels of the subway. I sighed inwardly, remained stoic outwardly.

Iggy put a hand on my shoulder in recognition. How did he know?

I watched her. Her laughter was gone, her frame tense. I'd caused her pain. I mourned internally.

"_You're beautiful," _I thought to her. Her back was to me. But she turned as if she'd heard my voice, my unspoken words.

"_I'm sorry," _her eyes said. _Do you know what you do to me?_ No answer.

- -

__

I saw your face in a crowded place,  
And I don't know what to do,  
'Cause I'll never be with you.

- -

What just happened? Emotions that could kill are my new traveling companion. I care about the stranger. I shouldn't. It's wrong. But he loves me. I know. I wish I didn't. My heart is broken. Shredded and destroyed by the bird-boy's eyes. If I had never turned around, never met the gaze I felt on me. If I had looked away, refused his silent communication. But I couldn't have. The moment I met his gaze, he owned me. It was frightening. I almost ran. I'd wanted to all along. Ever since I boarded this contraption of death on claustrophobia. I hate trains. He did too. I could tell. And the boy with him.

What to do? I'm "taken". I have no choice. No freedom. When did I lose my freedom? What to do? What choice? Ride the air currents with Onyx-eyes. Take the subway with _him_.

No choice. I can't leave. I have a job, a duty. Gave it all up already. Too late, baby. I'm sorry.

So why am I grieving. I make choices every day. _But they usually don't involve this…agony. _A chance to have a family. People like me. Gave it all up already, when I looked away.

The trains stopping now. And I've given up so much in these few seconds. He made me feel…something. He's everything I've lost. Everything I've given away. Those moments of connection…

It was something strange. Something else. I wanted to make him smile, wanted to see him smirk. Hear his laugh. It must be something incredible. He's probably off the train by now.

Panic. I whirl. His back is to me, disappearing into the crowd. He's the vision of family, friendship….love. He's a promise. I gave him up already. I can see two outlines against his dark shirt. Wings. He's freedom. But I already gave that up. He's everything, but he's gone. I'll never see it again. _You're beautiful._ I mouth the words.

- -

Yeah, she caught my eye,  
As we walked on by.  
She could see from my face that I was,  
Flying high,  
And I don't think that I'll see her again,  
But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

- -

It was something lasting. Something heartbreaking. I lost her. Left her. It felt like breaking a promise. I'm changed. But at least I have the sky. She's not free. _I'm sorry._

Golden hair is visible above the crowd, a taller than average girl. It's her. Of course. Who else could it be. Are those tear tracks? No. She's not the crying type. I wouldn't be able to leave if I saw her cry. Her feet trip over each other. She catches my gaze. Shock. We thought it was over.

I smirk, for her. "_I'm going to be flying soon. I can already taste the sky. Hear the clouds singing out. I'm sorry._ _Sorry to leave you behind."_ She might never know the feel again. Maybe she never has. Who am I to know her story_?_

"_It's okay. I'm fine. I'm me. This is what I do."_ A little smile, for me.

"_I know. I can tell. I'm sorry." _And then I walked away. It was something difficult. Something impossible. Something breaking, destroying. It was goodbye.

- -

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.  
You're beautiful, it's true.  
I saw your face in a crowded place,  
And I don't know what to do,  
'Cause I'll never be with you.

- -

He's gone. To the skies. To the stars. To heaven. An angel. I'll never know. I chose wrong. I chose right. I chose for the world. They chose for me. _He_ chose for me. No family. No Flock. No good answer. _Do you know what you did to me?_ No longer safe. No longer secure. No longer ignorant. No longer invincible. _Do you know what you've done?_

_- -_

__

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.  
You're beautiful, it's true.  
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,  
When she thought up that I should be with you.

- -

Angel smiled. They were crazy about each other. But she cried. She'd thought wrong. Max was too strong. Fang was too sacrificing. The world was too uncompromising. _What have I done?_ No answer. _I'm sorry._ But sorry was no longer good enough. They were broken. But they were in love. So she laughed through her tears.

- -

_  
But it's time to face the truth,  
I will never be with you_.

- -

* * *

The song is _You're Beautiful by James Blunt (clean version)_.

Yes, I used the clean version on purpose because "flying" has a nice connection to the characters.

Review, please? Or hop on over to my profile and read my other MR fictions…


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